What is Google?
Google is an internet search engine that uses its proprietary algorithm to prioritize search results based on relevance and reliability. Its position as the world’s top search engine has generated criticism and concern about its power to influence the flow of online information. Because of its prevalence, the name “Google” has also become a verb; when something is searched on Google, it is said to be “Googled.”
The company was founded in 1996 by Ph.D students Sergey Brin and Larry Page, who named it after the googol, a number representing 10100. They began their company in a garage, using cheap computers built from Legos and their personal credit cards to fund the venture. The pair later secured $100,000 in funding from Sun Microsystems co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim, and the company was formally incorporated on 4 September 1998.
Since then, the company has grown rapidly. Its headquarters are located in Mountain View, California and it has offices around the world. Its employees are referred to as Googlers, and the company’s culture is focused on innovation and collaboration. Google has been a pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence, and its products have helped to shape the modern world.
In addition to Google Search, the company offers a wide range of other services and products. These include Gmail for email, Google Maps for directions and satellite images of the planet, and Android, an operating system used with mobile devices. Google has also developed a variety of tools for businesses, including Google Analytics and AdWords.
Some of the other Google products and services include Google Chrome – a web browser, Google Web Accelerator – which helps to speed up browsing for broadband users, and YouTube Video Editor – which allows users to add text, music and other effects to videos that they create. Google also offers a free cloud storage service called Google Photos and provides access to over 7 million patents through Google Patents.
In 2015, the company split into two different organizations: Google LLC and Alphabet Inc. Alphabet owns and operates several other technology companies, including the self-driving car company Waymo and Google Fiber, a fibre optic internet service available to about 3.1 million people in the US.
Google reviews are a key component of a business’s online reputation. While negative reviews are inevitable, there are steps that can be taken to encourage more positive reviews. One of the most important is addressing any problems that come up, rather than trying to hide or delete them. In addition, responding to positive and negative reviews quickly is essential. Google may penalize businesses that do not respond to customer feedback.